


Mistletoe

by Naruthirnith



Series: Grindeldore Series [2]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, Gelbus, Grindeldore, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 08:59:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16783810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naruthirnith/pseuds/Naruthirnith
Summary: I wonder where the mistletoe came from?” /  “Is this the first time you’ve seen snow?It's Christmas Eve 1904, Berlin and Albus Dumbledore is about to give a lecture in a small bookshop, naturally Gellert Grindelwald is determined to attend.





	Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Amy-Elizabeth (Suspectsim)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Amy-Elizabeth+%28Suspectsim%29).



> Special thanks to Amy-Elizabeth for the prompts! Takes place after my work in progess story 'You, Me and The Greater Good'. Enjoy!
> 
> Edit: thank you to all my wonderful German readers, hopefully I’ve corrected the spelling/grammatical errors!

“I wonder where the mistletoe came from?” / “Is this the first time you’ve seen snow?”

24th December, Berlin, Germany – 1904

There was a distinct chill in the air as Gellert Grindelwald walked quickly down snowy muggle straße. Across from him muggle children made snow balls, throwing them occasionally at passing strangers. Further down the straße a muggle woman slipped on ice, she lay sprawled across the ground looking relatively dazed whilst the children laughed at her. Gellert reminded himself that that was exactly what was wrong with muggles, they treated one another appallingly. Gellert paused outside the disguised entrance into the magical part of the city. He was hesitant, but he forced himself to remember the reason he was there; Albus was there, about to give a talk on the intricacies of human transfiguration – a subject that interested Gellert greatly. Though deep down he knew it was more than that. This would be the first time he would see Albus in five years. They were no longer children, but they were bound together, blood pact or not, Gellert knew that they were linked in a far more basic way – though he did not want to admit it. Gellert was not afraid of love, he was however, afraid of the effect Albus had on him, Albus was his weakness. He sighed, remembering long auburn hair sprawled across his chest, blue eyes fluttering open, groggy with sleep and a contented (but tired) smile – Gellert could have woken up to that every morning had it not been for one stupid decision. 

A snowball hit his shoulder and he became aware that he was staring at what looked to muggles, like a brick wall. He shook his head and stepped into the ‘wall’, ordinarily he’d have hexed the muggle boys but today he was focused on seeing Albus. 

Gellert apparated to outside the venue that Albus was speaking at, it was a bookshop – very intimate. Gellert ran a hand through his wavy, jaw length, golden blonde hair and brushed down his long black winter coat before stepping inside. A young clerk looked up at Gellert.

“Hallo, ich bin hier für die Lehrvortrag” Gellert asked in his natural German, smiling at the clerk. The clerk nodded and led Gellert through a door.

“Hier entlang, bitte.” The clerk said, walking slightly ahead of Gellert.

Finally they came to a small room at the back of the shop, the clerk held his arm open for Gellert to walk past and into the room. Gellert hesitated, inside that room was Albus and all their history, Gellert was no longer certain if this was a good idea, he could still leave – but now the clerk was staring at him and he realised if he were to avoid a scene he’d better just go in. He took a deep breath and stepped in the room. Inside the room a few people were sitting, over by the window however, stood Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, auburn hair now hitting his lower ribs, he was taller now as well. Albus looked up at the sound of footsteps on the wood floor, Gellert heard the small gasp from Albus as they made eye contact for the first time in years. Albus recovered his expression, giving Gellert a face that said ‘later’ – which was, admittedly, more than Gellert was expecting. 

Albus thought the talk he had given had been immensely interesting, though he was aware that Gellert stared at him far more than propriety would determine was proper. Albus could not pretend that he was not surprised to see Gellert, for it was really rather shocking to see the golden haired boy standing there. Though perhaps boy was no longer the right word. Gellert had grown, though Albus was still taller. He had filled out too, still perfectly proportionate though. Albus stared at Gellert a little too, trying to get a measure on him, though Albus knew why Gellert was there. There was too much left unsaid between them. After all the other guests had left, some lingering to ask Albus questions, Gellert stood across from Albus. It was somewhat of a novelty for a former child protégé, who had just begun teaching at Hogwarts, to tour discussing the rarity of human transfiguration. Albus hoped he was not being rude when speaking to them but he really just wanted to hear what Gellert had to say. 

“What – what are you doing here?” Albus asked, hoping his voice sounded stronger than he thought it did. Albus looked into Gellert’s eyes, to some they may be considered disturbing with the harsh contrast between the pale blue and the dark brown – but to Albus, they were as startlingly beautiful as they had been five years previous. Gellert walked cautiously around the chairs, which had, not five minutes ago, been full of curious guests. Albus hesitated by the window. 

“I’m here to see you. I – I thought we… I thought we could talk?” Gellert replied, not meeting Albus’s gaze. Albus took a deep breath before walking between the chairs to meet Gellert. 

“You want to talk? Why now? Why after everything, would you choose now?” Albus questioned, Gellert had destroyed everything Albus cared about and left. Worse than that, he’d abandoned Albus. Gellert looked up and this time it was Albus’s turn not to meet Gellert’s eyes. Albus looked down, eyes focusing on the floor. 

“Albus, if I said I was sorry, would you believe me?” Gellert asked, shifting to try and meet Albus’s eyeline, Albus eventually looked up to find Gellert’s eyes. 

“I don’t know…” Albus admitted, he truly did not know if he could forgive Gellert. What he found unforgivable was not Ariana’s death, it was that Gellert left, the only person to understand Albus, gone. 

“Alright. Though, I would still like to talk with you?” Gellert asked, moving a hand to cup Albus’s chin, Albus jerked back, he was not ready let Gellert touch him again, he was honestly not sure he ever would. 

“Sorry, I just don’t want to be touched, if that’s alright? But I suppose talking would be okay…” Albus responded carefully. The last thing Albus wanted was to get Gellert’s hopes up. 

“Of course…shall we?” Gellert moved aside to allow Albus past.

“Where are we going?” Albus asked once back on the muggle street, he was watching the snow fall.

“Do we need to go anywhere? I suppose if you want to go anywhere we could go to the muggle park in the centre of the city.” Gellert replied, he was watching Albus watching the snow. 

“The park sounds nice.” Albus replied simply, holding out his hand to catch the snowflakes on his fingertips. 

“Is this the first time you’ve seen snow, Albus?” Gellert asked smiling at Albus. Albus turned to Gellert, he was smiling for the first time since Gellert had walked into the room in the bookshop. 

“No, I went to school in Scotland, remember… I just enjoy snow, it – never mind…” Albus replied, smile faltering. They walked in silence for awhile neither wanting to say anything that might make the other uneasy. Albus hazarded a glance at Gellert whom was looking back at Albus, his expression curious. Once they arrived at the park, Albus seemed uncomfortable, like there was something on his mind.

“Gellert…do you think we could, perhaps talk somewhere a bit more private?” Albus asked, keeping his eyes on Gellert. 

“Where do you have in mind?” Gellert asked holding his hand out to Albus. 

“My hotel, perhaps?” Albus asked, immediately realising the suggestion behind his words. “I don’t – I mean, erm…” Albus stammered, feeling awkward.

“I know what you mean, and alright.” Gellert replied, Albus took Gellert’s hand apparating them both to the corridor outside Albus’s room. Albus unlocked the door, letting Gellert in. 

“I’m sorry about the mess! I got here late last night and it’s been rather chaotic! I’m meant to be back at Hogwarts on Boxing Day.” Albus explained, waving his wand, tidying the room. 

“Don’t worry, you should see my lodgings! Where should I sit?” 

“Oh anywhere.” Albus replied as he turned to shut and lock the door. Gellert sat lightly on the end of the bed. Albus looked slightly surprised as he turned back to Gellert. 

“Sorry I’ll move.” Gellert started to stand.

“No, no, don’t. It’s okay,” Albus replied as he walked over to sit next to Gellert, tucking one leg under the other so that he was facing Gellert. Gellert sat back down, and turned to Albus. “I liked the park, I just needed to be able to speak freely. If, I may? Gellert, you left me. You left me to try and pick up the pieces of my family. Ariana died and Aberforth hates me. He broke my nose, you know? At her funeral, of all places. Your aunt was horrified, she had very stern words with him, but I can’t blame him, I deserved it. Elphias – you remember I mentioned him a couple of times – he thought I should have fixed my nose, but I could not bear the thought. I truly think I deserved it. But what I did not deserve, was you leaving. I think I could have coped if you had been there, but you left and you never came back… Which leads me to this; why are you here, Gellert?” 

Gellert was stunned, he knew that his actions that day had been unfair, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that the reason Albus was angry was because Gellert had left. He could understand if it was because of what had happened to Ariana but, not this. 

“You’re angry I left you? Not because of what happened to your sister?”

“What broke me the most was that you left. You could have stayed.” Albus said, he did not normally like to be so blunt but his throat felt too tight and his eyes were stinging with unshed tears. 

“I thought you would hate me. I attacked your brother. I may have killed your sister. I thought I would be the last person you would have wanted to see. So I left, I didn’t want to hurt you even more than I already had.” Gellert replied, he reached to take Albus’s had but hesitated, Albus had told him he didn’t want to touch. Albus looked down at Gellert’s hand, as he glanced down the tears that he’d been holding spilled falling down his cheeks. 

“I did hate you. I hated you for what happened, of course I did. But I – I love you.” Albus whispered, he did not feel strong enough to reply properly. He continued to stare at Gellert’s hands. 

“You…you love me? Still?” Gellert replied carefully, realising that the slightest misstep could break whatever was happening between them. Albus looked away from Gellert completely, clearly Gellert’s careful approach to the subject had been the wrong one. 

“Yes. If you do not share this feeling, then that is fine but please do not seek me out again.” Albus said standing to open the door for Gellert. 

“Albus… You are my weakness. You are the only person that I have ever loved, or ever will. I will never understand the effect you have on me, only that you do.” Gellert replied walking to Albus, who looked up to meet his eye, Gellert could see the tears that waited to spill and the tracks of those that had already. 

“Do you mean that you…” Albus stammered, not able to comprehend what Gellert had just told him. 

“Do you mean to ask if I love you? Because if you do ask that, the answer is that I do not think I would stop loving you even if I could.” Gellert replied softly. Gellert could see the conflict on Albus’s face, it was clear that he was stuck between accepting what Gellert had told him and running from his own hotel room. 

“Gellert…” Albus felt sick. He had in a sense, hoped that Gellert would tell him that he didn’t care for him but now he was confronted with the realisation that Gellert did care. “I can never join you, I can never be part of your movement.” Albus added hesitating. 

“I know, that is not who you are and that’s okay, I just think we needed to talk. I’ll go now.” Gellert replied, stepping around Albus and opening the hotel room door. 

Albus stood completely still, barely acknowledging that Gellert was leaving. Gellert walked down the corridor. He was halfway out of the hotel when Albus caught up with him, grabbing his arm, casting a disillusionment charm around them and kissing Gellert. It took Gellert a second to recover from the initial shock and kiss back, cupping Albus’s face with his hands. Albus gasped slightly and Gellert could feel more tears on Albus’s face. There was too much emotion in the kiss for it to be shared any further in such a public place, Gellert pulled away. 

“Come back upstairs?” Albus asked barely audibly. 

“Yes.” Gellert breathed, he and Albus were stood so close together that Gellert could’ve sworn he could hear Albus’s heartbeat. 

They apparated up to Albus’s room. Kissing with such urgency that neither of them knew what to do, both could feel the magical energy around them. It was inevitable that, with both of them so emotional and so powerful, magic would be fizzing in the atmosphere, both also knew that because of this they would need to be careful not to break anything. Gellert backed Albus up against the wall, leaning his knee between Albus’s legs, Albus gasped. 

“Do you really want this?” Gellert asked breathlessly, dropping his face down to Albus’s throat, Albus moaned in response.

“Yes,” Albus panted, pushing Gellert back, removing his jacket and beginning to remove other clothing items. Gellert took this as an invitation to remove this own clothing, before Albus moved back to Gellert kissing him, edging their way over to the bed in the centre of the room. “I missed you.” Albus added before giving himself up to Gellert for the first time in years. 

Once both had calmed down and become reacquainted with reality Albus glanced at his watch, which he had summoned from wherever it had been discarded. Gellert peered over his shoulder it read at just after 12am, it was Christmas Day. Gellert smiled to himself, all their time together had taken place in the summer, they’d never spent Christmas together. Albus fell back onto his pillow.

“Well…Merry Christmas, Gellert.” Albus whispered gently. 

“Frohe Weihnachten, Albus.” Gellert replied smiling, feeling for the first time in a long while, completely at peace. Albus smiled and even by Gellert’s standard it was mischievous, he glanced upwards. 

“Hmm I wonder where the mistletoe came from?” Albus chirped innocently, as if Gellert could not possibly guess where the mistletoe came from. 

“Oh well I have no idea, but you know what this means?” Gellert replied, sitting up, brushing Albus’s long auburn hair out of Albus’s face. 

“Of course.” Albus murmured sweetly, pulling Gellert down, sighing. For the first time in five years Gellert felt perfectly content

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! 
> 
> Any grammar issues, etc will be fixed asap 
> 
> German:
> 
> “Hallo, ich bin heir für die Lehrvortrag?" = "Hello, I am here for the educational lecture?"
> 
> “Hier, entlang bitte.” = "This way please"
> 
> “Frohe Weihnachten, Albus.” = "Merry Christmas, Albus"


End file.
